Evidences from link between quality and loyalty in e- service: an empirical study

There has been a lot of research validating the link between service quality and customer loyalty in traditional (bricks-and-mortar) services. However, despite the strong growth of eservices in recent years, there is still little rigorous empirical research examining this link in such settings. The interest in examining this link in an e-service setting is in validating eservice quality as a lever that managers of e-service operations can employ to drive customer loyalty and, ultimately, profitability. Based on data from an online questionnaire of customers of an e-banking service, this study employs structural equation modelling to examine the link between web site quality and customer loyalty. We found a strong and significant link between the two constructs, suggesting that this relationship also holds in eservice settings. This is an important result, given that loyalty has been generally considered harder to achieve in e-services than in traditional services.

[1]  M. Gilly,et al.  eTailQ: dimensionalizing, measuring and predicting etail quality , 2003 .

[2]  R B Chase,et al.  Where does the customer fit in a service operation? , 1978, Harvard business review.

[3]  R. Oliver Whence Consumer Loyalty? , 1999 .

[4]  Richard T. Vidgen,et al.  An Integrative Approach to the Assessment of E-Commerce Quality , 2002, J. Electron. Commer. Res..

[5]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  The impact of technology on the quality-value-loyalty chain: A research agenda , 2000 .

[6]  Zhilin Yang,et al.  Customer perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty: The role of switching costs , 2004 .

[7]  M. Gilly,et al.  .comQ: Dimensionalizing, Measuring, and Predicting Quality of the E-tail Experience , 2002 .

[8]  Dan Ariely,et al.  Controlling the Information Flow: Effects on Consumers' Decision Making and Preferences , 2000 .

[9]  Jessica Santos E‐service quality: a model of virtual service quality dimensions , 2003 .

[10]  Kenneth L. Bernhardt,et al.  Comments on Christian Grönroos' Strategic management and marketing in the service sector , 1984 .

[11]  Steven A. Taylor,et al.  An assessment of the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in the formation of consumers' purchase intentions , 1994 .

[12]  Dennis L. Hoffman,et al.  Marketing in Hypermedia Computer-Mediated Environments : Conceptual Foundations 1 ) , 1998 .

[13]  V. Zeithaml Service quality, profitability, and the economic worth of customers: What we know and what we need to learn , 2000 .

[14]  Samer Faraj,et al.  The Role of Intermediaries in the Development of Trust on the WWW: The Use and Prominence of Trusted Third Parties and Privacy Statements , 2006, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..

[15]  V. Zeithaml,et al.  A Dynamic Process Model of Service Quality: From Expectations to Behavioral Intentions , 1993 .

[16]  Richard T. Watson,et al.  Webqual(tm): a web site quality instrument , 2000 .

[17]  Gary W. Loveman,et al.  Putting the Service-Profit Chain to Work , 1994 .

[18]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research , 1985 .

[19]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  The Behavioral Consequences of Service Quality , 1996 .

[20]  F. F. Reichheld,et al.  Zero defections: quality comes to services. , 1990, Harvard business review.

[21]  H. Vroman The Loyalty Effect: The Hidden Force Behind Growth, Profits, and Lasting Value , 1996 .

[22]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  Service quality delivery through web sites: A critical review of extant knowledge , 2002, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.

[23]  R. Teas,et al.  Expectations, Performance Evaluation, and Consumers’ Perceptions of Quality , 1993 .

[24]  Rajshekhar G. Javalgi,et al.  Service loyalty: implications for service providers , 1997 .

[25]  D. Reibstein What attracts customers to online stores, and what keeps them coming back? , 2002 .

[26]  W. Sasser The Management of Service Operations. , 1974 .

[27]  J. J. Cronin,et al.  Assessing the effects of quality, value, and customer satisfaction on consumer behavioral intentions in service environments , 2000 .

[28]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  Communication and Control Processes in the Delivery of Service Quality , 1988 .

[29]  F. Reichheld,et al.  E-LOYALTY: YOUR SECRET WEAPON ON THE WEB , 2003 .

[30]  Glenn B. Voss,et al.  Determinants of online channel use and overall satisfaction with a relational, multichannel service provider , 2003 .

[31]  Gerald L. Lohse,et al.  An Information Search Cost Perspective for Designing Interfaces for Electronic Commerce , 1999 .

[32]  Rolph E. Anderson,et al.  Multivariate data analysis (4th ed.): with readings , 1995 .

[33]  U. Yavas,et al.  Service quality in the banking sector in an emerging economy: a consumer survey , 1997 .

[34]  Alan Dick,et al.  Customer loyalty: Toward an integrated conceptual framework , 1994 .

[35]  E. Anderson,et al.  Strengthening the Satisfaction-Profit Chain , 2000 .

[36]  V. Zeithaml,et al.  E-S-QUAL A Multiple-Item Scale for Assessing Electronic Service Quality , 2004 .

[37]  E. Gummesson The Marketing of Professional Services — An Organizational Dilemma , 1979 .

[38]  F. Reichheld LEARNING FROM CUSTOMER DEFECTIONS , 1996 .

[39]  Prashant C. Palvia,et al.  Developing and validating an instrument for measuring user-perceived web quality , 2002, Inf. Manag..